Cazenovia College Celebrates Tenth Year of Tree Campus USA® Recognition

Event Date(s):

Thursday, June 20, 2019 - 12:20pm

In recognition of Cazenovia College’s tenth year as a Tree Campus USA®, an honorary flag was presented to Cazenovia College. Olivia Vosburg’19,environmental biology; Meghan Hansen, environmental biology senior; and Ajla Porcic, biology freshman; accepted the flag on behalf of the College. The flag was presented by Andréa Nieves, environmental education assistant for the Division of Lands & Forests, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation at the Tree City/Line/Campus recognition ceremony and conference in Albany, NY.

Ajla Porcic, Olivia Vosburg ’19, Meghan Hansen

Cazenovia is one of three higher educational institutions in New York state that have maintained Tree Campus USA® status since its inception ten years ago. Stefan Opalenick, grounds supervisor, and Dr. Thad Yorks, program director for the biology and environmental biology programs at Cazenovia College, first applied for Tree Campus USA® recognition with the National Arbor Day Foundation in 2008. Since then, they have worked with other campus staff and students to maintain the College’s status as a Tree Campus USA® by meeting the five standards established by the National Arbor Day Foundation. These standards include maintaining a campus tree advisory committee, a care plan and inventory, a tree program with dedicated annual expenditures, as well as holding an annual Arbor Day observance and establishing an annual service-learning project.

This past fall the annual service-learning project was a collaboration between the College and the Village of Cazenovia Tree Commission. Through the service project, 12 trees were planted along the perimeter of the Cazenovia College campus on Lincklaen and Sullivan streets. Recently Dr. Yorks shared, via his Instagram account, photos of the trees and reported that, “All 12 trees planted around the main campus block in October of 2018 by SM 314 Field Botany along with the Village of Cazenovia Tree Commission are doing well.” (Follow Dr. Yorks on Instagram @dr._yorkss_courses.)

The village of Cazenovia is a Tree City USA®. Cazenovia College is located within the village of Cazenovia. The commitment to trees made by both the village of Cazenovia and the College contributes to the beauty of the campus and surrounding area.